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All your Bucc questions

Don H.

By Don H.
in Aircraft Cold War

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AnonymousFO98 Completely Obsessed Member

AnonymousFO98

Posted
Posted (edited)

This has come up before Don

Seem to recall that the SAAF did but not entirely sure.

There are a few aftermarket slipper tanks available, so not sure if there is a problem with the kit ones.

This is a really useful site someone linked on another thread. It may not help your specific question but it will hopefully be of interest and of some help.

http://www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk/0_Contents.html

Edited by walrus
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Colin @ Freightdog Models Very Obsessed Member

Colin @ Freightdog Models

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Hi Don,

I'm only aware of two types of tanks carried on British Buccaneers, both of which just been release by Freightdog (me), one as an improvement for the Airfix kit, the other (the lesser used streamlined tanks) as a conversion. Link to pictures here;

Regular slipper tanks

Streamlined slipper tanks

We also do Buccaneer nose and tail improvement sets to. Hope that helps.

Colin

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  • 8 years later...
Lord Riot Very Obsessed Member

Lord Riot

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I'm shortly about to begin the ancient Airfix 1/72 Buccaneer Mk.1. I'd like to make it as an early-mid 60s S.1, but not sure on the colour scheme. Some are all anti-flash white, with other upper EDSG (or is it DSG?) with white undersides.

 

A few questions if anyone is kind enough to answer?:

 

Does anyone know if all S.1s started life all white, or were some delivered grey/white?

 

When was the changeover to the grey uppers?

 

Were all white ones on carriers or all shore-based (Lossie?) 

 

I know I need to add the bullet fairing ahead of the tailplane, are there any other obvious external mods I'd need to turn this 'Mk.1' into a proper front line Royal Navy S.1?

 

Does anyone even do decals for S.1s?

 

Thank you in advance - any help greatly appreciated!

Edited by Lord Riot
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JohnT Very Obsessed Member

JohnT

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Hi

 

I recall Model Alliance did a set of decals (I have the 1/48 scale set) in 1/72 for aircraft on Ark Royal Carrier Air Wing and that included an all white Bucc  of 801 NAS XN928 119/R  HMS Ark Royal 1964 

 

There is a review on ARC here  https://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Rev2/1301-1400/Rev1317-ModelAllianceDecals-MA72121/00.shtm

 

I dont know if they are still available and buying a set for one aircraft could just tempt you into a splurge on more kits to do the others 

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Vicarage Vee Obsessed Member

Vicarage Vee

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If you can find a set Model Art did a sheet for S1s https://www.scalemates.com/kits/model-art-decal-system-madetail-004-hawker-siddeley-buccaneer-s1--1196381

 

Always worth contacting them https://www.modartdec.com/contact.html Jean Pierre is very helpful (and makes great decals)

 

Edit, In stock at Hannants https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MAD004 and ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Model-Art-1-72-Blackburn-Hawker-Siddeley-Buccaneer-S-1-D004/333275482342?hash=item4d98c448e6:g:km8AAOSwjftdOC1u

Edited by Vicarage Vee
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Giorgio N Blabber Mouth

Giorgio N

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Let's start from the bottom and what other obvious external mods are required to build a  proper S.1.. if you're using the ancient Airfix kit, this represents one of the prototypes and you would need some substantial external modifications to bring this to the production S.1 standard. The most difficult job is the modify the rear engine nacelles to bring these to the correct shape, that is shorter and more tapered. A look at these pictures will be more useful than any description

 

https://www.jetsofthecoldwar.co.uk/blackburn-buccaneer-s-1-walk-around/

 

You have already mentioned the bullet fairing on the tailpllanes, I may add that the radome in the production machines was different from what Airfix supplied, another not too easy modification. Parts like the radome and the tailplanes can be taken from an S.2 box, keeping in mind that the shape of the tail bullet was IIRC a bit different and that no plastic kit seems to have properly represented the radome.

 

Regarding colour schemes, the first aircraft to reach the units were pre-production aircraft in EDSG over white, with white fins and rudders. The all white scheme followed and was then replaced by the final EDSG over white scheme, this time with EDSG fins and rudders. The time when this occurred was between 1963 and 65, depending on the unit.

White aircraft served both on carriers and from Lossiemouth. 801 NAS brought all white Buccaneers on Ark Royal in 1963. 800 NAS however only used EDSG over white aircraft on Eagle. 801 then moved to EDSG over white for the next cruise on Victorious. Both 736 and 809 NAS used all white aircraft from Lossiemouth.

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71chally Completely Obsessed Member

71chally

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I seriously wouldn't entertain building that kit for anything other than a nostalgia excercise.  It is based on the NA-39 and has probably as much in common with an S.1 as the Airfix S.2 kit.

It really is awful, even for its time.

 

Personally, I would wait for the new tool Airfix Bucc to come out and either source the existing S.1 conversion set for the older kit and hope it fits, or wait for something new to come out.  Being a very popular subject, I hope it will.

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Lord Riot Very Obsessed Member

Lord Riot

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Thank you for the input guys, this is really helpful. Some great info there @Giorgio N! That walkaround is brilliant too.

 

I'm tempted to try, but I'll see what it looks like when I open the box before deciding if it's within my skillset or not! 😂 

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Vicarage Vee Obsessed Member

Vicarage Vee

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If you have the option to take a different route, do.  It's a completely see-through model too, so you have that to rectify.  Not in itself difficult, but if you can make it unnecessary...  The old way was with the Maintrack resin conversion of the Matchbox kit.  Not easy to track down these days. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/maintrack-models-72-2-blackburn-buccaneer-s1-conversion--183385

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Giorgio N Blabber Mouth

Giorgio N

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In a distant past I tried to cross-kit the Airfix NA.39 with the Matchbox S.2 and I failed. I'm sure others would have done a better job

Today in my stash I have the Airfix S.2 with the Heritage S.1 resin conversion set. These are also unfortunately OOP, they were very reasonably priced when available and look good in the box. Both the kit and the set will be used to build an S.1 for the forthcoming Buccaneer STGB

Model Art also did a set and if anyone is interested, I've seen that Aviation Megastore in the Netherlands have one last set in store for a reasonable € 9

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71chally Completely Obsessed Member

71chally

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3 hours ago, Lord Riot said:

 @Giorgio N

I'm tempted to try, but I'll see what it looks like when I open the box before deciding if it's within my skillset or not! 😂 

I remember that excited feeling!  Imagine, well pre-internet days, suddenly discovering that there was a Buccaneer S.1 kit available out there. 

I was already well aware of the three S.2 kits and had proudly built them for ATC competitions.

There was an actual S.1 down the road on display in Flambards and it really captured my young imagination.  The size of it, the dark grey over white, those round intakes.

 

An add appeared in a modelling mag, probably by TJ Models, there it was Buccaneer S.1, no way!

I gave them a call (mother paid) and sent off a cheque.

I waited eagerly for the 7 working days to pass, for the cheque to clear and the omnibus dispatch from London.

And then it arrived, I ripped off the parcel paper like it was Christmas, and there it was, this beautiful box with glorious Roy Cross painting on the front.

 

I won't spoil the story so I will await you're opening of it, suffice to say I don't think skill set will be the issue....

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stevehnz Blabber Mouth

stevehnz

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Airfix magazine December 1968 did an article on converting the NA.39 kit to an S.2 which included details of what needed modifying on top of the tail. I know I've a copy if it would be useful, be warned, the details in those old mags were very much of the looks about right style.

Steve.

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71chally Completely Obsessed Member

71chally

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Seriously, I would get that resin set (which is still showing available in that link above), and use the existing Buccaneer S.2 kit for the conversion.

You can get them really cheaply.

 

At least that way you're turning something resembling an S.2 into something resembling an S.1, rather than turning something that resembles a cartoon into something that may resemble a production aircraft!

 

BTW @perdu did a superb S.2/S.1 conversion, really worth absorbing the details of that thread.

 

Personally the Matchbox kit was my fave, but unsure about using the conversion set on it.

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